The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Dans on August 12, 2012, 06:12:03 pm

Title: Potted veg help
Post by: Dans on August 12, 2012, 06:12:03 pm

Ok so I'm trying my hand at a variety of veggies in my small (6x4) green house in my backgarden. I got some sweet peppers, tomatoes and aubergines as seedlings and some cucumbers and spinach as seeds. To my shock everything has come up quite well but they are in fairly small pots.

Several of the peppers, one tomato and one aubergine are fruiting. I'm not sure if to move them to larger pots to give them more room, or if that would shock them? I was tempted to move the ones that are yet to fruit.
I'm also tempted to plant the spinach out to give myself more room. Advice or direction to advice would be much appreciated! I have no idea what I'm doing!  :dunce:

Have put a piccie to show pot sizes. Not a great photo, they aren't that yellow, but I can't work the OH's camera!

Dans

Title: Re: Potted veg help
Post by: Mammyshaz on August 12, 2012, 07:34:16 pm

They will give a much larger crop load IMO if repotted into large pots. You may lose a few of the new fruits.

The spinach can go outside as it grows happily outdoors. 

Title: Re: Potted veg help
Post by: Dans on August 12, 2012, 07:49:48 pm

Thanks!

Will the ones yet to fruit be bothered by the move? I'll get some of the less developed ones moved over and kick the spinach out, space will be my next issue, may have a few cucs too many  :thinking:

Dans

Title: Re: Potted veg help
Post by: Bert on August 13, 2012, 07:37:08 am

I agree with Mammyshaz. Bigger pots if you can. They should all be fine. You will have to get used to fighting your way into your green house when your cucumbers get bigger. they will try to take over (I know I fight with one every morning ::) ). The best advice I can give you about veggies and gardening in general  is to make it up as you go along :fc: . It works most of the time.The other bit of advice is growing veggies is very addictive :thumbsup: .

Title: Re: Potted veg help
Post by: Lesley Silvester on August 13, 2012, 05:03:30 pm

Very VERY addictive.

Title: Re: Potted veg help
Post by: deepinthewoods on August 13, 2012, 05:10:47 pm

BIG POTS!!!!!! :D

Title: Re: Potted veg help
Post by: Dans on August 13, 2012, 06:23:41 pm

Thanks all. I've done some re-arranging and repotted as much as I can at the moment, hopefully get some more pots and compost soon, will let you know how it gets on.

One thing, I was repotting one of the tomatoes and only half the soil came free. In the half that were left were quite a few white larvae with some black markings. I checked the soil still with the plant, removed any that were there and took the larvae filled compost out of the greenhouse. Any ideas what they could be?


Dans - hoping it's not as addictive as homebrewing or else I will need a much bigger greenhouse sharpish!

Title: Re: Potted veg help
Post by: ddangus on August 14, 2012, 12:45:21 pm

Hi Dans,

Tomatoes are quite happy slightly restricted as long as they get additional nutrient i.e. tomato feed. The larvae are likely to be those of fungus gnats, quite common in wettish compost and not too much to worry about, it might indicate the pots are slightly overwatered.
Google Sciaridea larvae images to see if they are similar.

Regards,

DD

Title: Re: Potted veg help
Post by: Dans on August 14, 2012, 12:57:32 pm

Hi

Thanks DD, yep that looks like them and would also make sense as that plant had much shorter roots than the other tommie. Hopefully they'll all be nice and happy in their new pots

Dans